Fiber-optic transmission systems offer an alternative to current transmission techniques for CATV systems, which typically include long chains of repeater amplifiers. One of the drawbacks of fiber-optic systems is that the inherent nonlinearity in many analog transmitters prevents a linear electrical modulation signal from being linearly converted to an optical transmission signal by modulation of a diode laser. These distortions present a significant obstacle to successful implementation of such systems since linearity is critical in preventing cross-talk between the closely-spaced channels. A well known source of these distortions is second and higher order intermodulation products. Diode lasers with low second order distortion are commercially available, but they are expensive and severely limited in supply due to low fabrication yields. Two well known means for minimizing the effects of the nonlinearity and distortion are negative feedback and predistortion.
A number of predistortion techniques have been described in the literature to reduce distortion. These techniques involve combination of the modulation signal with a signal which is equal in magnitude to the distortion but opposite in sign such that the distortion is cancelled.
Many predistortion techniques divide an input RF signal into two or more electrical paths, then generate predistortion in one or more of the paths, with the predistortion resembling the device's inherent distortion. Attenuation can be used to control the magnitude of the predistortion so that it matches that of the device's inherent distortion. A number of different circuit configurations have been devised to accomplish predistortion in this manner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,754 of Blauvelt et al. a portion of the main signal is split off into the predistorter in which a push-push amplifier is used to produce second-order distortions. These distortions are adjusted in phase and amplitude and recombined with the main path signal. The composite signal is then fed into the device to be linearized.
The predistortion linearization technique of R. B. Childs and V. A. O'Byrne disclosed in "Multichannel AM Video Transmission Using a High-Power Nd:YAG Laser and Linearized External Modulator", IEEE J. on Selected Areas in Comm., Vol. 8, No. 7, September 1990, pp. 1369-1376, utilizes a circuit with a number of diodes in series, with bias currents being used to match third-order distortions to those of the modulator so that cancellation can occur.
Other techniques and circuit configurations have included combination of a pair of anti-parallel diodes and a linear impedance by a 90.degree. or 180.degree. hybrid-B (Nojima and Konno, "Cuber Predistortion Linearizer for Relay Equipment in 800 MHz Band Land Mobile Telephone System", IEEE Trans. on Veh. Tech., Vol. VT-34, No. 4, November 1985, pp. 169-177); and balanced amplifiers, phase shifters and p-i-n attenuators (Inada et al., "A Compact 4-GHz Linearizer for Space Use", IEEE Trans. on Micro. Theory and Tech., Vol. MTT-34, No. 12, December 1986, p. 1327).